One of the easiest clothing sales businesses to start is a t-shirt operation. This type of fashion clothing company has low barriers to entry into the industry, anyone can initiate social media marketing sales programs, and materials and services are easy to find. Even with all these advantages, writing a high quality, customized screen print business plan is critical to success. The company strategy walks the owner through each business element, including the type of clothing products and services offered, the ideal marketing sales ideas to employ, and financial projections.

The industry with Plenty of Room for Progress

Once it was a go-to part of clothing since 1920, a plain t-shirt has come a long way to become the perfect fashion outfit for most occasions worldwide. There are different types of colors, fashions, and graphic designs available these days. Hence, it seems that there is always a scope in this industry.

Clothing has become a billion-dollar industry now. However, there are still a lot of opportunities in the clothing business because there are thousands of upcoming and existing market niches for entrepreneurs.

When there is so much opportunity in the t-shirt business, you may want to establish your startup with screen printing business plan. Nevertheless, before starting a business, you should have proper knowledge of current trends in t-shirts, types of materials you would need, target audience, and the extra services you can get in the industry.

By keeping this information handy, an entrepreneur can make sensible decisions on what to offer their customers in the print on demand industry. Next up, you need to fill up the details of operational ideas and marketing and sales in order to meet certain goals in the industry for the t-shirt industry. This way, it helps make accurate and screen print business plan of financial statements.

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Clothing Fashions

screen print and print on demand on t-shirt business plan

There are different types of t-shirts available in the market. The T-shirt was once nothing but an undergarment during the period of World War I. European and American soldiers wore it as a cozy outfit under the uniforms.

Thanks to the famous Hollywood classics, which have brought a t-shirt to everyday fashion? One of the best examples is “A Streetcar Named Desire” in which Marlon Brando sported the plain white t-shirt.

Today, that iconic t-shirt has changed the way we wear outfits. It is now a perfect staple for every outfit and occasion. The t-shirt trend can be seen everywhere, whether at fashion shows, on playgrounds, at schools or on any occasion. It can be worn over bathing suits or slacks, on infants in cribs, and paired with an elegant skirt or jeans. Once casual wear, a t-shirt is now adorned with beads and sequins or trimmed with lace for added elegance to the plain clothing.

Hence, it is important for entrepreneurs to understand different t-shirt trends and choose the fashions they can introduce to the industry through their t-shirt business. Different types of necklines and/or different types of sleeves can describe the types of t-shirts.

Types of Sleeves:

  • Short sleeve
  • Sleeveless
  • Long sleeve
  • Cap sleeve
  • 3-quarter sleeve, such as dolman sleeve
  • Raglan sleeve
  • Yoked sleeve

Here are some of the common types of necklines:

  • Deep v-neck and v-neck
  • Deep scoop neck and scoop neck
  • Round neck or crew neck
  • Squareneck
  • Tank top (a sleeveless t-shirt with one neckline)

Some of the stylish t-shirts also have sweetheart necklines, halter necklines, surplice necklines, and keyhole necklines. When making a screen-printing business plan, you need to describe the types of tees which will be chosen and sold as products. Are you selling t-shirts for men, women, or both?

Materials

A lot of t-shirts are made of cotton-polyester combination or simply polyester or cotton. The type of material determines the weight, durability, and appearance. Some of the specific materials are organic cotton and knit fabrics. There are different factors to determine the quality of t-shirt materials:

  • Seam material
  • Neckband material
  • Type of thread used
  • Finishing

The ideal t-shirt construction and clothing material rely on different factors. What price is charged by the fashion industry? The more expensive the material, the higher the price charged by the business. Are you selling the t-shirt for a specific purpose like a fashion tee, sportswear (knit jersey), or just for general wear? Are you selling designer t-shirts in your screen printing business plan? What type of clothing material will you choose with the design?

Segment the Market

The screen print business plan also consists of a section on the features of the target market. The clothing market analysis in this business plan for screen printing has a marketing section to describe the clothing industry and POD niche for t-shirts. By taking the time to identify your clothing and fashion market, you can progress in a very sustainable way and improve sales.

There is tough competition in the market. Therefore, starting a t-shirt business online is known to be a much viable option. The businesses, which are selling to the wider and larger clothing market, may be either online stores or large stores with a lot of capital for investment group business.

The people who succeed quite well as a small clothes industry or fashion clothing industry is going to target a specific market segment and niche to focus on services and products in order to meet the customers’ needs.

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    Know the Market Niche

    The needs of customers and age are two important ways to focus on the market. Here are some of the questions a clothing industry owner should consider:

    • Will the business sells t-shirts for toddlers and infants, teens, youth, and/or adults?
    • Will the t-shirts target a specific niche in an age group, such as top designer tees for toddlers or leading rock bands for teens.
    • Will the product line in the business include different t-shirt fashions? How each fashion would appeal to diverse groups of customers?
    • How does the quality and fashion of t-shirts would meet the needs of the target market? Do you need to fill the market gap? For example, the increasing number of baby boomers might create different needs of certain t-shirt types.

    Note

    Be sure to do market research and make informed decisions regarding the product line, additional services offered, and proper marketing and sales ideas to reach the target market. In clothing industry, success depends on making a strong brand, which outperforms the competition, and it is up to the way to define the niche market carefully.

    Design Printing Options

    screen print and print on demand on t shirt business plan

    Not all t-shirt design businesses can be the same. One print on demand business might design only plain t-shirts without any graphics for working professionals. While other t shirt business design might offer to clothe with unique graphics to connect to the target market. There is no lack of options when it comes to graphic design, whether it is one word or even a complex design.

    When it comes to start an online t shirt business, come up as a strong competitor, and brand in this industry, you might find a lot of businesses offering different services. Some even allow customers to customize their own t-shirts by giving certain specifications. A sales company might also offer a catalog of garment design, which can offer an option to upload and create different designs, and it can also be printed on shirts.

    You need to choose from different printing options as it will help you decide what kind of printing equipment would you need for your print on demand business or the printing services you will need from the vendors. In order to print on t-shirts, you need to choose from three different methods –

    Direct-to-Garment – The ink is sprayed directly on your t-shirt in this printing process. It is much like printing a picture with different colors. It means it can easily add computerized graphics to the specific ink printer. The production of clothes is usually limited by the time it takes to print and design each t-shirt.

    Screen Printing – This approach of printing a t-shirt has been around for a long period of time. The end results are long-lasting and it has enough room for different colors to test but within limits. The t-shirt business should also have the right equipment and the team should have the right skill sets to create different designs and capability to operate with in-house equipment.

    Either way, it is considered to be a costly option for t shirt business. Many screen printers have minimal order requirement, even though you can order printing from the vendor.

    Heat Transfer – This printing process is relatively old and dates back to the era of placing a print through iron on the clothes. The print colors are transferred to the shirt to create a picture through the heat. Plastisol is a modern version of this technique as it creates graphics to be more durable than before.

    It is basically a screen printed design that is printed on a unique heat transfer paper, which is then put on the t-shirt and the graphics are transferred to the clothes through a heat press. For a tee company, one of the best things about this printing process is that they can order a lot of pre-printed designs on heat transfer paper they need and print shirts more accurately.

    As a business owner, you can order all the equipment you need to print and create t-shirts. It takes a lot of investment in software and computer hardware, as well as shirt printing equipment. A clothing company can also order pre-printed tees and the vendor will ship the items to the customers. The business owner can also opt for printed t-shirts without having to consider order size.

    Write the Online T-Shirt Store Business Plan

    Bank/SBA Business Plan

    After deciding how to produce products, what to sell, and how to deal with the orders, the next thing a POD business should decide is how to sell. Will it be an online t shirt business, traditional store or both?

    Are you going to rent a kiosk at a nearby mall and selling to the public directly or selling to retailers in wholesale? There are different options for you to sell your products.

    These days, a lot of entrepreneurs make a screen printing business plan to grow their fashion stores online. They either establish their online POD business for selling and marketing t-shirts or sell online through eBay and other companies by creating a store on those sites. Entrepreneurs can set up their operations online through these vendors, accept orders, and collect online payments. There are different businesses offering those services.

    It’s the right time for you to write an online t-shirt screen printing business plan after completing the market and industry research and it is up to the business owner as what they would sell.

    The business owner can test different templates and samples. You can find the templates and samples online. Read the sample document to get some idea of the document, and how the document would look once finished. However, don’t copy the template. Use it only for reference.

    Anyone can use those templates. To maintain the originality, don’t copy the actual template file. Investors can easily find out whether the write up is original or just an online draft. You cannot grab attention of investors by using common templates.

    When it comes to making a custom t-shirt screen printing business plan, you need to cover the following topics:

    • Are you creating fashion designs in-house or order readymade designs from the vendors?
    • What will be the mission of your company? For example, offering durable and high-quality t-shirts for youth who have beautiful designs for parents.
    • The qualifications and experience of your company, even though it is owned by one person.
    • The sales marketing ideas of the company implemented on the basis of marketing analysis, which involves efficient use of charity events, social media, convention hall shows and fairs.
    • The sales ideas of the company, including website orders, direct selling, phone sales, and other sales channels.
    • Details about the competition and how to stand out as a new brand from other t-shirt companies.
    • The sales forecast for a company.
    • The operational structure of the company, including customer services, staffing, inventory requirements, and production processes.
    • The financial plans for a company when it comes to operational sustainability should be reflecting cash flow projections, profit and loss, and balance sheet.
    • Other information like samples of designs, vendor agreements, and/or graphs and charts
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    Considering the Financial Aspects

    Screen print Business Plan

    When writing the screen print business plan, one of the major questions arises in mind is whether investors are willing to cover up the funding and startup needs until your business starts growing. If yes, your strategy is directed to your investors and it justifies the request. The financial strategy of the company would basically include a lot of information to ensure that your business is real:

    • Breakeven analysis
    • Financial assumptions
    • Projected expenses, including variable and fixed costs
    • Sources of revenue and projected revenues
    • Annual gross margin
    • Profit and loss statement on a monthly and annual basis
    • Business ratios like accounts payable turnover, inventory turnover as well as debt ratio

    Keep track of expense projections for your online t-shirt business. You may want to show your profitability too early by neglecting to show certain amounts like annual insurance amounts, loan payments, software purchases or future equipment for growth. Unless you gain financial experience as an entrepreneur, it is always recommended to outsource help with Pro-forma statements of the company. It is very important when you need investment.

    Mistakes you need to avoid

    You need to seek the help of professionals when making the screen printing business plan. You may want to skip this process if you are planning to start a family-owned business with just one employee – yourself. But it is worth to make a solid business strategy with the help of a professional if you don’t want your POD business to fail. It is very vital to plan every step of the business ahead. You may not want to take any wrong step without a proper plan.

    With that said, here are some of the common mistakes you need to avoid:

    • Starting the business without proper planning to fill, accept and ship orders.
    • Skipping market research and not making profit and loss statement for the company
    • Not making a business theme, logo and mission to grow a professional brand.
    • Starting up without a proper supply of design options
    • Not preparing for unexpected sales growth, which leads to dissatisfied customers who partner with competitors
    • Not considering the challenges and risks involved in the business to succeed
    • Not having access to the right skills and quality design work (such as hiring an employee or acquiring computer skills)
    • Having poorly designed a corporate website, which is full of glitches, boring and hard to maneuver.

    Marketing with Social Media

    If you have a robust marketing strategy, you can easily ensure success by marketing the company with social media. Just sending tweets or posting comments online is just a part of the process.

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    In order to assure success, entrepreneurs should share their knowledge with the market (such as, how to differentiate poor quality and high quality t shirt), and continuing and starting the conversations which build relationships and attract the customers.  The key here is to become useful to the customers and help them choose the right tees if you can grab their attention.

    The screen print business plan is among the most vital documents for small businesses to progress and maintain as it provides a proper roadmap for the consistent success of the company.

    If making a strategy when starting a t-shirt screen printing business plan seems to be a tough job, you need to seek professional help. The key here is to make a customized business strategy, which discusses unique concerns while avoiding generic details. Choose the templates, which provide proper help on the specific sections to cover the formal plan.

    How to Start T-Shirt Business?

    Screen-printing is actually a specific business channel, which comes out of different business ideas which are known to be very rewarding. As discussed earlier, there is no lack of customization options for screen-printing due to that, it can be attractive to the target audience.

    Obviously, clothes are not the only product where you need a screen-printing design approach. It is also used to design posters and backpacks. It is up to the company and the owner to come up with some new and fresh ideas to improve the sales.

    When it comes to offering screen-printing designs in the business, they are on-demand and have great sales for different reasons. For example:

    • Companies may drive sales through different educational institutions and corporate offices where customized t-shirts or trendy bags are always required which have school or company logo printed.
    • Companies that need customized t-shirts or other promotional items for their brand. You may find sportsmen with uniforms that are printed with company logos.
    • Charity groups and event organizers using the personalized screen-printed banners as well as clothes to improve awareness related to social causes.
    • Retail shop owners can also promote their clothing business by reselling custom-printed trendy clothes.

    T-shirt Screen-printing Business Start-up Crucial Things

    Are you looking for t-shirt business opportunities? If yes, we have listed some of the important steps that can be very handy for your t-shirt startup. When it comes to making a t-shirt screen printing business plan, the initial stages are very challenging and even clothes sales may miss out on some of the important aspects.

    In our end, this initiative can save you from any kind of disaster when it comes to selling fashionable wear, which can cost you in the near future. Here are some of the important things to do to start the t-shirt printing industry:

    Get The Official Business License

    screen print and print on demand on t-shirt business plan

    Every print on demand business should have a proper official license when it comes to working in a specific area legally. In order to achieve your license, you first need to plan your category of fashion clothing on the basis of different factors. Whether you are starting screen print business plan as limited liability, or partnership or even sole proprietorship, you need to file our clothing business license with the state’s secretary office.

    It is recommended to visit the local office and submit your application for a clothing business license. Whether you have staff, members employed or not, you should have proper Employer Identification No. Visit the Internal Revenue Service website to apply for the same.

    Permit for reselling printed t-shirts

    You can apply for a reseller permit from the revenue department of the state. Apply and seek permission to buy products and clothes from suppliers and resell them to the shoppers. You can save on sales tax with the proper permit. Return the tax on resold items to the state government.

    Special Licenses

    You need to use certain equipment, machines, chemical solutions, and tools to grow your screen printing t-shirt business. Also, get in touch with the local area personnel issuing a clothing business license. Consult with them and ask whether there is any permit, you need to acquire a specific chemical or machinery in the fashion industry.

    Allot Products Storage spaces in progress

    When starting your in-house sales business, specify a room for storage purposes only before functioning well. Make sure the room is airy enough to hold all the supply cartons, clothes as well as machines.

    You need to own a warehouse if it is not a home business. You can own it, rent it or get it on lease. Be sure that there is an additional room for the warehouse to establish your office. It is important to conduct meetings with your clients.

    Any questions? Get in Touch!

      Screen-printing paraphernalia

      There are different important items and tools you will need to start t-shirt screen printing business. You can either opt for them on the ease or buy them. For doing this, you will need:

      • A laptop or PC with a graphic designing program installed to create fashion designs
      • Washout sink
      • Heat press
      • A rack to dry out clothes and conveyor dryer
      • Exposure unit
      • Screens
      • Squeegees
      • Inks

      Buy Chemical Supplies in Progress

      To avoid any shortage of chemicals in your fashion clothing business, especially when the job of screen-printing is ongoing, you may want to stock up all the chemical supplies in advance. For doing this, you will need:

      • Spot cleaner
      • Emulsion
      • Haze
      • Yellowing remover
      • Solvents

      You are going to constantly need the above chemical supplies and it is a smart move to make good relations with some of the chemical suppliers. You can avail of some added discounts as a loyal buyer and cut down on your corporate expenses.

      Trading Credits

      When it comes to starting up a t-shirt business, you may not have enough funds because of your startup costs. Under those circumstances, it may not be easy to pay up the wholesalers upfront. This way, merchant accounts can help you tackle those situations and have suppliers providing t-shirts, clothes and other items you need.

      By doing so, you can take clothes on credit along with other products. You can pay off your suppliers with the acquired amount of selling the products. Be sure to keep track of the prices offered to several suppliers before you zero down on the one for getting the best deals.

      Promote fashionably

      You need to appeal to your customers in order to market and promote your business. Present your trendsetting and fashionable vision in order to achieve the same. This way, you can gain an insight into different stylish screen-printing t-shirts, which customers buy.

      Add different shades and samples on the brochures to promote your business. Also, consult with colleges and schools. It is vital to promote robust relationships if you want bulk orders from those institutions. Plan a meeting and visit different industries in the city. Don’t forget to share your visiting card to assure prospects in the future.

      How to Screen-Print a T-Shirt: Basic Idea

      When it comes to starting a t-shirt printing business, you should have some basic knowledge as an owner. You should have the right screen printing skills and knowledge that can help you make trendy t-shirts, which will not wear out or fade colors even after several washes.

      It should last longer for customer satisfaction. Here are some of the detailed steps to learn t-shirt screen-printing:

      Step 1 – There are three ways to learn how to use screen printing apparatus:

      • You need to look for some of the basic online video tutorials. Be sure to follow them well and learn each side of having this machine.
      • When buying the screen printing kit, you will get a manual inside the package. The manual has every small detail related to the machine. Therefore, you need to follow them well.
      • Join a screen-printing outlet at least for a while to get hands-on knowledge on the machine before starting up your venture.

      Step 2 – Be specific and choose the right screen for printing a unique design. Consider different aspects like mesh size, color combination etc.

      Step 3 – The emulsion coating works in the light. Arrange a space, which is well lit with red lights and apply the emulsion coating once screen cleaning is done.

      Step 4 – Once you have done taping the art film which is attached on the screen, you need to place them in a light exposure unit. Later on, it should be wetted in the washout position. One done, the screen should be placed well in light exposure so the paint will be hardened.

      Step 5 – You have to use squeezes to color the screen with ink. Create the trial print with the heat press and place the design on a t-shirt. It takes time to master the art of applying prints accurately with screen printing presses.

      Do not rush to it. Know how things work, learn the craft, know about the tool and practice again and again. Don’t worry if you get failed in the beginning. You will be good at it with several trial and errors.

      Step 6 – Well, this is the last and important stage in the process of t-shirt screen printing. Here, you need to ensure that design is imprinted well by passing your creations through the drying belt. It is an important step. If it does not get properly, the print will fade easily.

      Now that you understand the basic business t-shirt ideas, you can polish your skills with some trail practice sessions and professional training. Hence, the results will be high fashion, unique, and durable, which results in a great sales margin.

      5 Errors of starting tee shirt printing business at home: How to keep them in check?

      Trying everything on your own

      When starting t-shirt business for sale, a huge problem is that most entrepreneurs expect to grow their business rapidly by printing all types of clothes like bed sheets, t-shirts, curtains, and even printing bags.

      Well, this is a completely misleading and wrong step. If you are starting POD online business, focus only on a specific audience and target that niche well. Once your focus is clear, you can craft the top quality products and progress the right screen printing business plan to boost sales. Otherwise, your customer reach and sales ideas will be lost in the crowd.

      Buying Screen Printing Kit without any Knowledge

      Well, this is another major mistake most business owners commit and do not realize it until it is too late. You do not have to spend your capital on buying the most premium and expensive machinery to print t-shirts and expect profits through sales. It is completely a suicidal plan for your business.

      Things take time to show results. As discussed above, proper training, skill, and time are needed along with a basic understanding of machinery, tools, and equipment for t-shirts for business designs. It is important to attract customers or your sales will fall flat.

      Lack of storage space

      Well, it is another major issue that takes place when it comes to starting an at-home business. Most entrepreneurs get excited to start a new venture and earn lots of profits.

      However, they often overlook how much storage space they need to keep all the supplies, screen printing tools, equipment and others. You just cannot dump your expensive equipment at a random place. You have to plan out some proper space at home or somewhere else.

      In addition, the whole printing process needs a specific space, which is well lit and keeping all the tools properly with ventilation, electrical wiring, and dumping facilities. You also need to consider other factors like environmental hazards, zonal rules and regulations, and others, when making sales and strategy for business.

      Not growing market presence

      You may have heard many t-shirt business success stories, which suggest focusing on market presence. You need to build relationships with several other businesses and community groups. Spread awareness of your business product to everyone.

      It is very important to make your presence felt in the local market. The people will start knowing about your product only when you build your relationships with several businesses and community groups:

      • You may want to print some sample t-shirts for a well-known music group that will host a concert around you.
      • Provide some sample t-shirts at a cheap price to NGOs and social workers who conduct rallies to spread awareness and raise funds.
      • You can also join an online t-shirt designing contest to attract the public and post several creative inspirations for your products.
      • You need to be unique and creative in your ideas to reach out the target audience. It will help you grow in the market.
      Any questions? Get in Touch!

        Overlooking t-shirt tags

        Did you know that t-shirt tags also promote business on their own? You should not overlook its importance. Would you know a brand name if a t-shirt comes without a tag? Would you ever buy it again? Many businesses avoid adding tags just to save money in making them.

        Do not make this mistake. Cloth tags need actually low investment as compared to the cost of traditional marketing techniques.

        Most entrepreneurs make these mistakes constantly when it comes to starting a home-based screen printing business. It’s time to be aware and consider all these things in advance. You first have to be prepared with all the requirements before starting a business.

        The success of every entrepreneur depends highly on the well-designed t-shirt screen printing business plan. This way, OGS Capital has the right workforce to provide a business plan for screen printing. We have a huge range of t-shirt business plan samples and templates to help you out. Feel free to call us for a sample or template document and check the quality of content on your own and decide whether you should go with our services or not.

        You can check and compare a lot of endless t-shirts screen print business plan samples and templates online. They are also available to use for everyone. Some of those templates are free while some might be charging for it. You can get an idea about the quality when you check online documents.

        They are written from different aspects according to different businesses instead of matching a specific venture. A lot of factors like spelling, grammar, and formatting should be checked well to figure out the difference between precise documents and free documents, which skilled professionals can create well.

        At OGS Capital, we have professionals who work with expert writers related to business details. We study every detail with the client and incorporate them well with a well-written document.

        In addition, consultation forms a bridge of communication where clients can share their ideas with the writers. It can obviously help transform all those ideas into the right business plan for screen printing.

        If you are creating a business plan for screen printing to raise funds, it is important to design it well. Investors often have specific needs and they expect to have all the details in the document according to the right format.

        Therefore, it is important to consult with experts who have experience in making those documents so they can help business owners to get the funding as per their expectations. The incorporation of information and writing manner varies dramatically which can be handled well by professional writers.

        Appendix

        When writing a business plan for screen printing with OGS Capital, you can also work with other aspects of your venture. You can entrust your business plan for screen printing with us and we maintain the strict delivery time. We can combine your creative ideas with our specialized skills to craft the best document. You can talk to us at any time. You can mail us or call us anytime at your convenience.

        Download Print On Demand on T-Shirt Business Plan Sample in pdf

        Professional writers OGS capital specialized also on theme such as tatoo shop business plan, greeting card business plan, art gallery business plan, gift shop business plan, drone business plan and etc.

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